Hurricane Ophelia (2005)

Basin

North Atlantic

Dates

September 6, 2005 to September 23, 2005

Peak strength

Category 1, 75 kt (86 mph)

Lowest pressure

976 mb (28.82 inHg)

Landfall

Yes

Accumulated cyclone energy

15.7

Tropical-storm-force wind reached

150 nmi (278 km, 173 mi) from the center at its widest

Hurricane-force wind reached

45 nmi (83 km, 52 mi) from the center at its widest

Eyewall radius at its peak

20 nmi (37 km, 23 mi)

Overall size

200 nmi (370 km, 230 mi) to the outermost closed isobar

Peak gust in the best track

90 kt (104 mph)

Fastest the center moved

29 kt (33 mph)

Identifier

AL162005

Radar at KAMX as it neared land, Sep 6, 16:00 UTC

The sources count different things and are not added together.

Landfall points the US agencies flagged in the best track. The nearest town is named from the site’s gazetteer, not from the report.

NOAA’s Storm Events database, the record National Weather Service offices compile months after a storm, as compiled March 2026.

Deaths

0 (0 direct, 0 indirect)

Injuries

5

Property damage

$43 million

Crop damage

$12 million

Events recorded

35 in 12 reports from 7 states and marine areas

State by state

What was recorded

17 hurricane (typhoon), 7 flash flood, 5 storm surge/tide, 4 high surf, 1 rip current, 1 tropical storm.

The Weather Prediction Center attributes 892 rain gauge totals over the contiguous United States to this storm. The wettest reached 17.50 inches (445 mm).

WPC’s storm rainfall file, 1900 to 2020, compiled by David Roth.

From the Storm Events narratives, unedited.

Hurricane Ophelia stalled 105 miles off the coast of Charleston. The far western bands of the storm brought tropical storm force wind gusts into Charleston county. Trees were knocked down in McClellanville and Mount Pleasant. Minor beach erosion occurred along the coast.

Charleston, South Carolina · Tropical Storm · Sep 14, 00:00 UTC

Flash flooding of roads. Water higher than car windows. Rescues performed by the local fire department near Railroad Ave. and Lafayette.

Essex, New Jersey · Flash Flood · Sep 15, 11:55 UTC

Torrential rains caused a creek to rise rapidly in Irvington. The creek subsequently flooded a portion of the Garden State Parkway with 3 to 4 feet of water.

Essex, New Jersey · Flash Flood · Sep 15, 15:30 UTC

Torrential rains caused flash flooding of streets in New London. Flash flooding of State Street poured into businesses. The torrential rains were caused by the interaction of offshore Tropical Storm Ophelia and a cold front to the west of CT.

New London, Connecticut · Flash Flood · Sep 15, 19:00 UTC

• Tropical Storm ArleneNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 1 death · $12 millionTropical Storm60 kt · 989 mb
• Tropical Storm BretNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 1 deathTropical Storm35 kt · 1002 mb
• Hurricane CindyNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 1 death · $320 millionCat 165 kt · 991 mb
• Hurricane DennisNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 42 deaths · $2.5 billionCat 4130 kt · 930 mb
• Hurricane EmilyNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 6 deathsCat 5140 kt · 929 mb
• Tropical Storm FranklinNorth Atlantic · 2005Tropical Storm60 kt · 997 mb
• Tropical Storm GertNorth Atlantic · 2005Tropical Storm40 kt · 1005 mb
• Tropical Storm HarveyNorth Atlantic · 2005Tropical Storm55 kt · 994 mb
• Hurricane IreneNorth Atlantic · 2005Cat 290 kt · 970 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionNorth Atlantic · 2005Tropical Depression30 kt · 1008 mb
• Tropical Storm JoseNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 6 deathsTropical Storm50 kt · 998 mb
• Hurricane KatrinaNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 520 deaths · $125 billionCat 5150 kt · 902 mb
• Tropical Storm LeeNorth Atlantic · 2005Tropical Storm35 kt · 1006 mb
• Hurricane MariaNorth Atlantic · 2005Cat 3100 kt · 962 mb
• Hurricane NateNorth Atlantic · 2005Cat 180 kt · 979 mb
• Hurricane PhilippeNorth Atlantic · 2005Cat 170 kt · 985 mb
• Hurricane RitaNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 7 deaths · $12 billionCat 5155 kt · 895 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionNorth Atlantic · 2005Tropical Depression30 kt · 1006 mb
• Hurricane StanNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 80 deathsCat 170 kt · 977 mb
• Unnamed tropical stormNorth Atlantic · 2005Tropical Storm45 kt · 997 mb
• Tropical Storm TammyNorth Atlantic · 2005 · $25 millionTropical Storm45 kt · 1001 mb
• Unnamed tropical stormNorth Atlantic · 2005Tropical Storm40 kt · 1005 mb
• Hurricane VinceNorth Atlantic · 2005Cat 165 kt · 988 mb
• Hurricane WilmaNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 23 deaths · $21 billionCat 5160 kt · 882 mb
• Tropical Storm AlphaNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 28 deathsTropical Storm45 kt · 998 mb
• Hurricane BetaNorth Atlantic · 2005Cat 3100 kt · 962 mb
• Tropical Storm GammaNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 37 deathsTropical Storm45 kt · 1002 mb
• Tropical Storm DeltaNorth Atlantic · 2005Tropical Storm60 kt · 980 mb
• Hurricane EpsilonNorth Atlantic · 2005Cat 175 kt · 981 mb
• Tropical Storm ZetaNorth Atlantic · 2005Tropical Storm55 kt · 994 mb

A best track is the record a warning agency settles on after the storm, not what it said at the time: position, maximum sustained wind and central pressure every six hours, revised against every observation that came in later. Category is the Saffir-Simpson scale, which runs from Category 1 at 64 kt to Category 5 at 137 kt and reads wind only, so it says nothing about surge or rain. Accumulated cyclone energy adds up the square of the wind through the storm's life, so it counts strength and duration together.

Storm history from NOAA NCEI’s International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS), which merges the official best track of every warning agency. Live storms, cones, watches and warnings from the National Hurricane Center and the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Archived radar from NOAA’s Level II archive.

• Tropical cyclone report, National Hurricane Center
• Every advisory and discussion NHC issued while it was live
• Wikipedia article: Hurricane Ophelia